November 30, 2018

This
Thanksgiving, the Raymond Village Library kicked off its major fundraiser of
the year. What an appropriate week to ask the community for their support!

The
library’s annual appeal needs to raise $35,000 to continue to provide
our many programs and services for the community. “The library is a vital part
of the community in Raymond, serving as its community center and cultural focus,”
stated Sheila Bourque, the Library Board President. “We are community focused.
We are always looking for ways to make our community a better place to live.
This past year has once again shown that by working together, collaborating
with each other, we can create a special place.”

Under
the leadership of Library Director, Allison Griffin, the Raymond Village
Library continues to shine as they provide services to everyone in the
community. In addition to expanding their print, audio, and DVD collection, the
library has brought the Raymond Arts Alliance into its programming, adding art,
music, poetry and many other cultural events to the Raymond community. The
addition of Senior Hours every Tuesday morning offers yoga, games, reflexology,
and monthly bus trips for our senior community. This popular service has filled
a vital community need.

Collaboration
with other community groups such as Age Friendly Raymond, the Raymond Village
Community Church, United Church of Christ, Saint Joseph’s College, Windham/Raymond Adult Education, 4-H,
Be the Influenceand the Raymond Lions Club has
brought the Raymond Village Library a traveling mural, Adult Education programming, and a grant funded
intergenerational garden

next to the library’s parking lot.

The “Keeping Raymond Warm” insulating window program for
our Raymond residents, a partnership between the Raymond Village Library,
Raymond Village Community Church, the United Church of Christ, and an
AmeriCorps volunteer based at Saint Joseph’s College demonstrates how neighbors
can help neighbors to keep warm and save energy.

“The
positive energy in our library makes working here a joy. Our staff and
volunteers are committed to serving the community and making Raymond a special
place to live,” said Allison Griffin, Library Director.

Raymond
Village Library continues to act as the community center for Raymond. The
library collected and distributed candy up and down Main Street for Raymond’s
annual Halloween on Main Street celebration. Over 500 children passed through
our doors on October 31! The Annual Christmas Tree lighting, sponsored by the
Raymond Lions Club and complete with cocoa, cookies, and a visit from Santa,
continues to be a highlight of the year for Raymond residents. The library’s
weekly baby and toddler story time, monthly reading time with the therapy dog
Lucy, and monthly Maker programs for kids continue to be very popular. Our
addition of a microscope DASH the robot, and additional science programming has
opened new doors for our children.Our
continuing author series and book club remain strong.

“While
our activities are fun and entertaining, we have not lost sight of the
important role we play in our community to fill some significant needs.All of our programming and investments are
done with

a purpose” said Leigh Walker, Library Treasurer.

With
the successful completion of our Annual Appeal, the Raymond Village Library
hopes to add 12 staff hours to our schedule in order to provide even more
services to our community. But we can’t do it without you! Donations
from our community are what allows the library to provide so many programs and
services, and they are an important investment in a community organization
which serves people of all ages and interests.

“Very
simply, the Library needs your financial support. We need to raise $35,000 with
this appeal. Our challenges include the minimum wage increase and our goal to
provide more services for our school age children. We are committed to our
library and managing our dollars wisely. We can’t do it without you. Our
library is worth your investment,” said Paul Cullinan, Board Vice President.

You
can donate to this wonderful community resource on-line by visiting www.raymondvillagelibrary.org, dropping by the library during library hours or by mail by sending
your donation to Raymond Village Library, PO Box 297, Raymond, ME, 04071.

The Library:

- Provides community for our seniors
though our Senior Only Hours, delivering educational programs, helping forge
new friendships and eliminating potential social isolation.

The Lake Region Community Chorusis proud to present its sixth annual holiday concert which will
take place at the Twitchell Chapel at the Bridgton Academy in North Bridgton.
The concerts are scheduled for Friday, December 7 at 7 p.m. and Sunday,
December 9 at 3 p.m. This amazing choral group is made up of fifty-five singers
from fourteen surrounding towns including Windham and Raymond. They will
present an exciting program that is made up of songs of many different styles
and genres.

Come and hear these energetic singers perform the perfect
blend of holiday and winter songs including
“O Holy Night”, “What Child is This?”, “Can You Hear the Angels?” and the “Hallelujah
Chorus” with audience participation. The program will include accompaniments by
percussionist, Rusty Wiltjer and electric bassist, Mark Priola. Musicians from
the chorus include Ginny Halligan, flute, Pam Ward, guitar, Jan Jukkola, clarinet and Glen Jukkola, violin.

The LRCC is directed by Jan Jukkola, Susan Stockwell and
Dan Allen. The group is accompanied by Carolyn Stanhope and Sara-Sue Schreiber.
The chorus would like to thank the Bridgton Academy for all their help and
support and providing them with rehearsal space and a concert venue. They would
also like to thank their enthusiastic audiences and local sponsors. Donations
to help cover the purchasing of music and operating costs will be graciously
accepted. Come and let the Lake Region Community Chorussing in the season and fill your heart with their gift of music
and song.

Unfortunately, some people take advantage of the holiday
cheer by either conning people into
purchasing items that do not exist or using
other scam methods to steal money from the unsuspecting.

To help the community
become aware of the variety of scams that are popular during the holidays, AARP
Maine Communications Director Jane Margesson will be joined by Windham Chief of
Police Kevin Schofield for an hour-long presentation on what to look out for
and how to protect yourself from con artists.

Join them on Thursday, December 6 at the Windham Public
Library from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a short presentation on common
holiday scams and tips to keep you and your family safe. This will be followed
by an opportunity for question and answers and free scam prevention resources
will be provided.

Some topics of discussion will include “deals” that do not
exist, gift card scams, online shopping safety, and genealogy, package delivery
and charity scams.

The presentation will also provide information on prevention
strategies, advising a number of things you can do to protect yourself from
these crimes.

There is nothing festive about fraud. Make sure you keep the
holiday cheer in your life by becoming informed and guarding yourself from a
scam that could change your life. Join Margesson and Schofield next Thursday
for this informative presentation.

For more information, contact Margesson at 207-776-6301 or
at jmargesson@aarp.org.

Children’s
singer-songwriter RickCharette and his Bubble
Gum Band return to Saint Joseph’s College of Maine's Standish campus on Sunday,
December 2 at 2:30 p.m. for the 28th Annual Holiday Benefit Concert.

The
public is invited to join the College community for this family-friendly
afternoon of music taking place in Pearson’s Café in Mercy Hall.

As
in past years, concert-goers are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy as the
price of admission. Additionally, donations are welcomed and encouraged. All
items and money raised will go to benefit children of Sebago, Raymond,
Standish, and Windham in need of some holiday cheer.

For
more information about the concert or the Mercy Center at Saint Joseph’s
College, contact Kathryn Cody at 207-893-7794 or kcody@sjcme.edu.

Meet
the Coaches Night was held Monday, November 26 at Windham High School. The evening
included the keynote speaker, Tom Caron as well as coaches from the Windham
Middle and High Schools, providing parents the opportunity to meet with their
child’s coach and learn more about the sports season.

Athletic
Director Rich Drummond began the evening by stating the number one goal of the
athletic
department was to improve communication.

Shelly
Afthim, head of the Windham/Raymond Booster Program also spoke during the
event, explaining the benefits of involvement with the program and that they
are one team with one goal for every sport.

Caron,
a Lewiston High graduate and NESN sportscaster, took the podium to expound the
importance of being on a team and what that means. He illustrated the triangle
approach with sports; with one side of the triangle representing parents, one
side as the coaches and the third side, the athletes. “If each side is working
together, it makes for a smoother season,” Caron stated.

He also
told the athletes they will have a chance to write their season; to come
together as a team for one goal. Athletes should ask themselves: “how can I
help everyone around me be the best they can be?”

Caron
added that it’s ok to be afraid of failure. “Preparation is the best way to
avoid failure,” he began. “But it’s wise to learn to deal with rejection and be
your biggest advocate.” Caron also stressed to be smart about posting on social
media as athletes. “Whether you are a pro or high school athlete, students are
role models to younger students and that’s very important to remember.”

Caron shared
with the athletes and their parents regarding the road that took him to NESN.
When he graduated from high school, Caron’s goal was to work for a newspaper as
a sportswriter. He went to St. Michael’s College in Vermont and during his junior
year, he received an internship at a television station. He fell in love right
away with the teamwork aspect of working at the studio and thus his life began
as a sportscaster.

Caron’s
interest in sports stems largely from his dad, who was a huge sports fan and a great
baseball player. Caron stated it was clear he wasn’t going to play a sport for
a living, but he believes if you love something, try to find a career in that area
of interest. “I never thought it’d be a lifelong thing, but I got the
internship and that station hired me out of college” he said.

He
worked for television station WGME as a sports anchor and station WPXT as a
sports reporter. In 1993, he was looking to move away from TV and took a job
doing play-by-play calls for Maine’s Portland Pirates hockey team. Although
Caron says he was tired of TV, he fell in love with doing play-by-play and
after two years with the Pirates, NESN took notice of him and offered him a
job.

Caron
hasn’t forgotten his roots as he writes a weekly column for the Portland Press
Herald and appears weekly on radio station 102.9 WBLM. “Be true to who you are”
says Caron. “I live in Massachusetts, but anybody who watches NESN knows I’m
from Maine.”

Caron’s
wife is also from Lewiston and they have a son who is a senior at Saint
Michael’s College in Vermont and a son who is at Bridgton Academy, looking to
play soccer next year in college.

“I’m a
Mainer, I’m proud of it and that’s never going to change,” he exclaimed.

Saturday,
November 17 was no typical Saturday at Shaw’s supermarket in North Windham. On
that day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cub Scout Pack 805 collected over 1,200 community
donated non-perishable food items. This included items like toiletries, shampoo
and toothpaste as well as raising $364 for the Windham Food Pantry.

The cub
scouts handed incoming customers a flyer with items the Windham Food Pantry was
looking for and customers would drop off their donations on their way out. “We
did more than what we anticipated we’d be doing; which is just amazing and
shows the support of the community,” commented Sarah DiDonato, Tiger Den
Leader.

Tony
Sweet, Cub Master for Pack 805 explained that they did this last year and this
year was more successful with more people giving. While they don’t set a goal,
they do aim to do a little better than the previous year. In 2017, the pack
filled six carts worth of non-perishable food items and toiletries. This year,
they almost doubled that, filling 11 shopping carts with food and non-food
items, along with raising $364 for the Windham Food Pantry.

“For
Pack 805, this is really big for us,” explains Sweet. “It’s definitely a way
for us to give back and we all love doing it.” This food will be able to help a
lot of different people. When Sweet looks at all the boxes of food collected,
he cannot believe it.

“I feel
much better knowing I have as much as I do,” commented Colette Gagnon, Social
Services Administrative Assistant in charge of the Windham Food Pantry and the
Windham Clothes Closet. She explained she used a lot of the donation for
Christmas dinners and some for Thanksgiving baskets which feed approximately
400 people. Gagnon also mentioned that the donations really helped families
looking for last minute donations.

“This
was a great opportunity for the food pantry to give families a really happy
Thanksgiving,” remarks Gagnon.

“People
who are less fortunate...should be able to get food and be able to feed their
families. I feel like that makes their day when they get food from the food
pantry,” said AJ Sweet, Bear Den member and third grader.

Next
month, Pack 805 plans to do a toy drive, so stay tuned for details.

November 21, 2018

The RSU14 Withdrawal Committee met on Wednesday evening,
November 14 at the Broadcast Studio, 423 Mills Road
in Raymond to examine the details of the next step in withdrawing from the
district and to consider the ways to engage the community in the
discussions.

Educational Consultant, Mark Eastman and Lawyer Daniel
Stockford were invited and present at the meeting along with committee members:
Teresa Sadak, Rolf Olson, Joseph Bruno and Kate Leveille. This meeting is
considered the eighth step in the 22-step withdrawal process.

Among the many topics discussed included but were not
limited the following:

Bruno wanted to clarify that the final decision and step
within the upcoming activities may develop into a negotiated compromise and
withdrawal may or may not happen. Sadak concurred with Bruno’s statement adding
that the 2015 withdrawal efforts were the outcome of a compromise and not a
failed effort. “In 2015, we could have chosen to withdrawal from the RSU14
district but opted for the compromise,” Bruno added. “At that time, we didn’t
have lawyers in that process and Windham took advantage of the loop holes in
the contractual agreement,” Bruno continued, explaining the reason for the new
withdrawal attempt and negotiations.

Stockford stated that state law allows 90 days to complete a
withdrawal and reach an agreement. Noting that the time frame is nearly
impossible to reach, he informed the committee that an extension

can be
requested and will most likely be accepted. Stockford advised the committee to
set aside a meeting on high priorities which would most likely need to be done
during an executive session.

The focus of an executive session would include a discussion
on strategy, negotiations and proposal ideas.

Committee members were all in agreement and wish to seek the
thoughts, concerns and priorities from the Raymond public. One suggestion to
encourage public engagement is by holding a workshop in the near future.

The RSU14 committee’s next meeting will be an executive
session.

For more information regarding the RSU14 withdrawal and the committee
meeting or to obtain full details and other agenda items discussed, visit the town website at http://www.raymondmaine.org or call the town office at 655-4742.

November 16, 2018

As part
of the regular Free Monday Meals Program provided by area churches and social
organizations, a free Thanksgiving dinner with all the traditional holiday
fixings will occur on Monday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m.

North
Windham Union Church, 723 Roosevelt Trail will be the host of this week’s event
and will have their doors open at 4 p.m. for those who would like to gather
early.

“We are
expecting between 75 to 125 people who will come together and experience a free
and healthy Thanksgiving meal,” stated Stephen Palmer, board member of the
Monday Meals program. “There will be appetizers of celery, cream cheese and
olives for those arriving early. We will also decorate the church hall with
Thanksgiving themed decorations to provide a fun holiday atmosphere.”

Area churches
who combine resources and offer the free Monday meals every week include not
only North Windham Union Church but also St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Faith
Lutheran Church, Windham Assembly of God, Windham Hill United Church of Christ
and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Other social
organizations and individuals offer assistance as well and the Thanksgiving
meal on Monday will be no different. “The Girl Scouts, members from North
Gorham United Church of Christ as well as the soccer team and nursing students
from Saint Joseph’s College will help us from time to time as part of their
community service program and will be joining us for this Thanksgiving
preparation,” Palmer explained.

Palmer
also stated that the purpose of the Monday Meals Program is to provide good
food and fellowship free of charge for individuals in the Lakes Region. All are
welcomed.

For
more information about this Monday’s Thanksgiving dinner or any free Monday meal,
contact Palmer at 207-221-0734.

AUGUSTA
— Earlier this week, Congressman Bruce Poliquin filed a
lawsuit against Maine Secretary of State Matthew
Dunlap regarding the implementation of ranked-choice voting in his tight
congressional race with Jared Golden. In the complaint, Poliquin cited
out-of-context remarks made by former Secretary of State and current State
Senator Bill Diamond of Windham to support this complaint.

In
response to the lawsuit, Sen. Diamond released the following statement:

“It
has come to my attention that Congressman Poliquin has referenced me in an
attempt to support his lawsuit against the Secretary of State. Having run
statewide elections in Maine for eight years, I've had a unique experience with
all aspects of voting and elections in general. Therefore, my experience told
me that there was a potential for logistical problems with implementing
RCV. Even though I have specific concerns with ranked-choice voting, I
want to be very clear: Ranked-choice voting is now state law. It ought
to be followed. Secretary Dunlap and his staff are doing a superb job following
the law as written and the people of Maine can rest assured and be confident in
the sanctity of their votes.”

Sen.
Diamond served as the Maine Secretary of State from 1989-1997. In the Maine
Senate, he currently represents the people of Windham, Raymond, Standish,
Casco, Baldwin and Frye Island. Sen. Diamond also serves on the Legislature’s
Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee and Government Oversight
Committee.

The
Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) recently announced the addition
of former Windham Town Manager, Tony Plante and Tom Bell to their growing
staff.Kristina Egan, Executive Director
of GPCOG, said.

“We
are so pleased to have both Tony and Tom joining our team,” stated Egan. “As
GPCOG continues to grow, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to bring
talented, experienced people together to serve our municipal members and our
entire region, from Sebago Lake to Casco Bay.

“Tony
Plante’s experience as a Town Manager for over twenty years brings a wealth of
insight and expertise to GPCOG as we work to expand our services to the
communities we serve.His specialized
expertise in performance management will be a particularly valuable addition to
our team.His contributions to the
region at GPCOG will make us all stronger.We are lucky to have Tony as a colleague.”

“Tom
Bell is one of Maine’s true communications professionals. His long tenure as a
reporter covering the issues GPCOG works on every day gives him unique
understanding of what we do.

Tom’s accomplishments
as a communications consultant demonstrate his ability to help people
understand complex issues in clear, direct ways.And Tom’s passion for our issues, and our
mission, make him the perfect fit for GPCOG as we share the great work we do
with our members, our region and our state.”

Tony
Plante comes to GPCOG after serving for 22 years as the Town Manager of
Windham, where he was recognized as the Manager of the Year by the Maine Town,
City and County Management Association in 2016.

Tom
Bell comes to GPCOG after a career as a reporter, including 16 years at the
Portland Press Herald.More recently
Bell has been an independent consultant at Tom Bell Media where he has worked
on policy and political campaigns.

GPCOG
is a non-profit organization serving 25 municipalities in Cumberland and Androscoggin
Counties, providing planning, transportation, economic development and energy
services and support to individual communities and the region as a whole.

The
multi-step process for the hiring of the next Windham Town Manager began with a
public forum on Thursday, November 8 at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall in the Council
Chambers room. The purpose of the meeting was to offer the Windham community an
opportunity to provide input regarding what they deem important qualities for
the next town manager.

The
meeting was facilitated by interim manager Don Gerrish and Richard Metivier, a consultant
with Eaton-Peabody Consulting Group (along with Gerrish), which will be leading
and assisting in the hiring process.

Approximately
12 citizens were in attendance, including four town council members, Clayton
Haskell, Rebecca Cummings, Jarrod Maxfield and newly elected, Dave Nadeau.

Gerrish
announced that he anticipates up to 30 applications will be submitted for the
position and an ad has been placed in professional websites with a deadline of
November 26. Once the search has been closed, a public meeting will be set for
community members and business owners, etc. to have an opportunity to ask
questions and learn more about the applicants. Interviews with department heads
will also take place with a final selection from the Town Council. The successful
candidate will be known by mid-January and the expected start date will be
February 1. “We are seeking the person who fits your community the best,”
Gerrish said.

Various
comments were expressed with the main concerns focused upon the growth of
Windham and transparency in town government.

Other
comments expressed by the public included but were not limited to the following:

“Our
town is growing very fast, but we still have a measure of small-town mentality.
We need a candidate who can pull this community and this town council together,”
stated Pat Moody.

“We
are becoming a suburb of Portland (but) that is not my plan for Windham.” We
have to hold back growth. We need controlled growth while protecting the
environment. We have five bodies of water that are impaired as a result of
uncontrolled growth.” Jeanie Rhein

“Town
officials need to understand the boundaries of their roles,” stated Allen
Pollack. He also expressed hope that solutions to problems are presented to the
council as a full range of options and not just a single recommendation.

“The
town is bigger and busier and we need a collaborative approach to help us solve
the problems. We need to follow our comprehensive plans. I’m not confident
effective planning is taking place,” expressed Kyle Rhoades

“We
need transparency and communication through all groups. The candidate needs
previous experience and should not be a rookie. He or she should be an idea
person who brings multiple options to the table and provides a good working
environment for town employees,” stated Maxfield.

“The
candidate should be competent in MUNIS software,” expressed Nadeau.

“We
need to have increased acknowledgment and non-monetary support for local
non-profits and civic organizations. Sometimes non-profits just need good
advice or help navigating various town rules and ordinances. I highly recommend
a more collaborative approach to town management rather than the “top-down”
approach.” Walter Lunt said.

Other
suggestions and comments included that consideration should also be given to candidates
who are experienced in the private sector. It was also mentioned that town
government should be “vigorously transparent”, stating that it seems like
certain “unknown factions” make secret deals. Suggestions included that competing
factions should collaborate through consensus building and the candidate should
be able to help lead the council through conflicts.

The
public forum ended at approximately 8 p.m. For full details of the public
forum, one can view the recorded session on channel 7 which can be accessed on
the Town of Windham webpage at www.windhammaine.us.

The Windham Town Council met on
Tuesday evening, November 13 at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall in the Council Chambers
room. The evening began with Linda Morrill, Town Clerk administering the oath
of office to newly elected Town Councilor, Dave Nadeau as well as to Tim
Nangle, who was re-elected to his West District seat. Nadeau fills the At Large
position previously held by Dennis Welch. Both Nadeau and Nangle will carry
three-year terms.

Public comment followed the oath
ceremony. Windham resident, Karen Lougee expressed concerns regarding the
unprecedented growth happening in Windham. She outlined certain points that
included but are not limited to the following:

*Too many homes being built

*Too much growth on schools

*Tax increases due to the growth

*The stresses placed on town staff
as well as on fire, rescue and police departments

*The growth's affect on the
environment and wildlife habitat

*Infrastructure unable to support
the growth.

*Reasonable planning is needed

It is for these reasons she
requested a temporary 180-day moratorium on building residential properties.

Others in attendance spoke on their
concerns about the town’s growth and the management of such. All concurred with
Lougee’s request for a moratorium.

Councilors offered feedback on the
subject of growth and the public’s request for a moratorium. Councilor Nangle
would consider a moratorium but stated that he had concern regarding a
town-wide restriction.

Councilor Jarrod Maxfield stated
that it is best to be proactive rather than reactive in terms of growth and
spoke in favor of bonds to provide funding to expand infrastructure to support
the growth. He also pointed out that newly elected Councilor Nadeau (who has
served as a Town Councilor in previous years) has been speaking about efforts
toward growth management since 2011, as an example of being proactive.

Nadeau and Nangle were sworn into office by Linda Morrill

Councilor Nadeau stated that he
hears from the Windham community that transparency and compromise is what is
needed. He emphasized the need for compromise.

Councilor Robert Muir stated that
the topic and concern surrounding the exceptional growth Windham is
experiencing will be one of the major focuses for the Council this year.

Councilor Rebecca Cumming is not
opposed to discussing the possibility of a moratorium and Councilor Donna
Chapman believes wastewater and sewer infrastructure should be addressed to
support the current growth.

Councilor Clayton Haskell stated
that the ordinances changed when new people arrived in Windham. He does not
believe in moratoriums and will never support them.

Other councilor comments included
but were not limited to the following:

Councilor Maxfield congratulated
Councilor Nadeau for winning the election, pointing out that he received 51% of
the vote. He also stated that 60 percent of the registered voters came out to
the polls on election day. Maxfield also thanked the VFW for inviting him to
partake in the Veterans Day ceremonies.

Councilor Nangle congratulated Tony
Plante for his new role with the Greater Portland Council of Government and also expressed his gratitude to the VWF for inviting him to the ceremony as
well.

Councilor Nadeau thanked the voters
for coming out on election day and for those who voted for him.

Upon completion of the public
comment and councilor comment sessions, the Town Council members held their
yearly elections for a new chair, vice chair and parliamentarian. Councilor
Haskell and Councilor Nangle were recommended to replace Councilor Chapman.
Councilor Haskell was voted to be the new chair with four votes for Haskell and
three votes for Nangle.

Councilor Maxfield and Councilor
Cummings were recommended for the Vice Chair positions with Cummings elected
with four votes and Maxfield, three votes.

Councilor Muir was recommended to
fill the parliamentarian position. He was elected with four votes for with
three opposing votes.

For
full details of the meeting and other agenda items discussed, go to the town
website at www.windhammaine.us.
The meetings are also available to view on Facebook Live as well as recorded
and broadcasted on channel 7.

*Councilor
Cumming reached out to the Windham Eagle after the meeting to express her congratulations to David Nadeau on his
election, Tim Nangle on his re-election and to Clayton Haskell on his
appointment to Council Chair.

November 9, 2018

The Windham Skate Park is getting a new look. The skate
park was originally opened in 1999 and was first located at Windham High School
until it was moved the following year to where it currently is located between
the public safety building and the Community Garden on Gray Road.

Old Skate Park

In the
Spring of 2016, the park needed to be closed for safety reasons. The Windham Parks
and Recreation Advisory Committee felt strongly that the community still needed
a skate park. The Parks and Recreation Committee decided it was time to update
the skate park’s current wooden structures to be made of concrete. “It has been
determined that intensity of use and longtime exposure to the elements did
result in a limited lifespan for the park. Essentially, although regular
maintenance was done on the park, structures ultimately were worn out,”
explained Linda Brooks, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

Latest concept design

The
town has received a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant which will be
applied toward the community park and skate park construction. There are a few
other funds currently dedicated to the construction of the concrete skate park:
the LWCF grant, funds from the Recreational Impact Fee Account and funds from
the sale of the Gambo property to the Windham Youth Soccer Association.

The grant funding and funds from the Recreational Impact
Fee Account are a huge boost to making this a reality but further
funding is expected to be needed and fundraising efforts are underway. Earlier
this summer, Windham Youth Basketball hosted their annual tournament and
donated the proceeds to the community park basketball courts.

The “main
goal of the Parks and Recreation Committee is to build
excitement about the project and encourage participation in the process and
ownership of the park by the skate park users,” continued Brooks.

“Developing a community park has
been a topic of discussion for the last ten years or so and there has been a
number of designs over the years for the parcel located next to the public
safety building. It wasn't until Linda Brooks suggested applying for the Land
and Water Conservation grant (the same grant Windham was awarded back in the
1970s to build Dundee Park) and Windham being awarded the grant....did it
become a reality,” clarifies Pat Moody, Chair of the Windham Parks and
Recreation Advisory Committee.

How
will the two skate parks differ? The skate park is only one element
of the comprehensive plan for this community park. The plan calls for a skate
park, basketball courts, beach volleyball courts, a playground and walking
paths with mile marker signs and suggested exercises. The walking paths will
loop around the park that is designed to offer something for everyone.

The
Parks and Recreation Committee hopes to hold a fundraiser community event in
the spring to promote plans for the new park. Citizens
and community groups will be key in raising the remaining funds to complete all
phases of the park.

Construction should begin in late
winter/early spring, and the grant requires that we complete this first phase
by September 2019.

For more information on how you or
your organization can help with the community park please contract Windham
Parks & Recreation at 892-1905.

Catherine’s
Cupboard will operate its weekly food pantry operations out of the Standish
Municipal Center until December 19, 2018. Following that date, Catherine’s
Cupboard will take the next step forward in its longstanding commitment to
supporting sustainable communities and combating food insecurity by investing
its dedicated financial resources and volunteerism in other local pantries.

Following statewide and regional recommendations, this change seeks to increase
effectiveness and reduce redundancies in hunger relief food distribution
system.

Matthew
Goodwin, Dean of Campus Life at Saint Joseph’s College and member of the
Catherine’s Cupboard Board said, “Saint Joseph’s College Mercy Center Director
Kathryn Cody and I remain committed to addressing food insecurity through
this new direction for Catherine’s Cupboard. We are still maintaining the
nonprofit status of Catherine’s Cupboard and keeping the Board in place. We
will still run fundraising Clynk campaigns, conduct food drives, and assemble
our much beloved annual Thanksgiving baskets. Our service to the community
continues, but in a different way. We welcome meetings or correspondence
with anyone who would like to participate in the creation of our new
collaborations.”

For
the past ten years, Catherine’s Cupboard weekly food pantry has served hundreds
of families from several towns. Despite this, Maine’s food insecurity overall
remains above the national average and has yet to return to pre-recession
levels, according to the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

Saint
Joseph’s College’s President James Dlugos said, “For many years, Saint Joseph’s
College has been examining how to address food insecurity as part of its
long-standing Mercy mission. Food insecurity remains at unacceptable levels in
Maine overall and in the Lakes Region, in particular. We need to do better. The
new direction for Catherine’s Cupboard follows state and regional
recommendations and pursues what we hope will be a more sustainable approach.
We are tackling systemic and proactive change, in addition to direct
assistance.”

3)
creating systemic change through innovative partnerships with the Center for
Sustainable Communities and the Institute for Local Food System Innovation at
the College.

President
Dlugos said, “We appreciate how the Town of Standish has been a longstanding
partner with us in assisting our neighbors who need help the most. We look
forward to working with town leadership on future initiatives.”

Until
December 19th, Catherine’s Cupboard volunteers will be assisting food pantry
clients in understanding how to access Lakes Region food pantry support in
Windham, Steep Falls, Limington, and other towns.

About
Catherine’s Cupboard

Catherine’s
Cupboard Food Pantry was founded in April 2008 as a collaboration between Saint
Joseph’s College’s Mercy Center, the Town of Standish, and the Bon Appétit
Management Company. Later, Catherine’s Cupboard was run as a 501c3 with its own
Board of Trustees and operated with funding from: the Town of Standish, the
annual yield from an endowment established by Andrew & Helen McSween, and
additional donations raised by Saint Joseph’s College. Initially operated out
of the Steep Falls fire station, the pantry moved its operations to the Town of
Standish’s new municipal center.

Seniors
at Windham High School have a new graduation requirement this year that is intended
to help them find their path after high school and show young people it’s not
impossible to stay in Maine.

The
Senior Capstone project replaces the previous requirement of 40 hours of
volunteering.Lanet Hane, Director of
Community Connections for RSU#14, said the district discovered that they were
missing an opportunity to help students be better prepared for their careers.

“Maine
has a big push to have students thinking about having a path after high school,
and we really want to be part of that and be thinking intentionally about that,
so that’s where the Capstone project came from,” Hane said.

Now,
instead of simply doing 40 hours of service at random, students have to put
together a project, complete with a final presentation, that better connects
them to the community. The Capstone project is intended to take the same amount
of time in a more coordinated and intentional way.

Hane
said students need to find someone in the community who will help them through
the process of researching a topic that is of personal interest.“It can be career related. It doesn’t have to
be, but most students are choosing something that’s in the career realm,” Hane
said. For instance, a student interested in law enforcement is connecting with
local officers, will conduct research on requirements to be an officer and
schools that might be a good fit, and could do a ride along.

The
Capstone Project has minimal basic requirements. Students will need to write a
proposal, complete some short reflection papers, obtain mentor agreements and
conduct a presentation to a panel of teachers and students for graduation
credit. The presentation can be any format the student chooses – a paper that
they discuss, a video, a play or another creative format. “It can be a lot of
things, based on what makes sense for the project and the student,” Hane said.

The
project is open ended, so while most will make their big push in their senior
year, students can start it as early as they would like, Hane said. Because
this is the first year the Capstone is required for graduation, the current
goal is to be sure seniors, their families and community members know about it.

Seniors
need to choose a teacher to advise them, and there is an optional quarter-long
capstone preparation course available.“It’s designed to be as independent as students want it to be,” said
Hane.

Hane
said she wants local businesses and members of the community to be aware that
students may be reaching out to ask if they can shadow them, or request that
they act as a mentor. She also said they don’t need to be scared by the idea of
mentoring. “It’s not the huge commitment you often assume comes with a
mentorship. It’s really being able to point them in the right direction,” she
said, since they will also have a school advisor.

“Students
are really going to be looking for people in different fields and might not
know where to look,” said Hane.Anyone
willing to be engaged in the process can contact Hane or other school staff so
they can build a list of those open to the idea.

“It’s going to be interesting this year
because there is so much learning, and such a process of figuring out how to
make this work because it’s the first year,” Hane said.There are more than 230 seniors to connect
with community members who can help them find those resources.While finding people within the communities
of Windham and Raymond is great, Hane said it’s more about helping students
find their path, so they will go outside the immediate community if needed.

This
kind of project for graduation credit is becoming more common, Hane said,
especially in Maine where there’s a push for students to think about their
future, whether or not that includes college.The project is also meant to remind students that whatever career they
want, there are local people who do it.

November 2, 2018

A
Veterans Day Ceremony and open house, hosted by Windham Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW) Post 10643, will be held at the Windham Veterans Center on Sunday,
November 11 at 11 a.m., announced VFW Commander Willie Goodman.

The
public is invited to attend the ceremony and refreshments will be provided. Mr.
Lee Humiston, founder, director and curator of the Maine Military Museum, will
be the keynote speaker and patriotic songs will be performed by the Windham
Chamber Singers.

Boy
Scout Troop 805 will be in attendance and will assist with the ceremonies. The
Winners of this year’s VFW sponsored essay competitions will be introduced, and
the winners will read their essays. The theme for this year’s Patriot’s Pen,
grades 6-8, is “Why I Honor the American Flag” and the Voice of Democracy
theme, grades 9-12, is “Why My Vote Matters.”

Following the program, the VFW will have a
wreath laying on the Vietnam Memorial in their Memorial Garden. The Windham
Veterans Center is located at 35 Veterans Memorial Drive. Turn right just
before Friendly’s Restaurant and follow Memorial Drive to the end.